It's another day as the final school bell rang. The five little friends of different species all met at the main hallway, their usual spot for saying their farewells and goodbyes, or in this case, meet up for another round of game day.
However, something or someone was missing.
"Where's Ocellus?" asked Smolder.
"Sadly, she couldn't make it, as she has remedial lessons with Miss Rarity," replied Sandbar.
"What a bummer," lamented Gallus.
"Not to worry," insisted Sandbar, "cause the game we're going to play today only has a maximum player count of five."
"In other words, one of us can only watch," he added.
"Convenient, I guess," Gallus accepted.
"What's it called?" asked an excited Silverstream.
"Follow me and I'll show you," gestured Sandbar, as they followed him to his house.
After arriving at his home, they went to his bedroom. Sandbar asked his friends to sit on the floor as he went to fetch a red box from his shelf. After which, he laid it on the floor.
"Exploding Kittens?" questioned Smolder.
"Kittens explode? Man, I knew there was something fishy about them," assumed Silverstream.
This caused the other four friends to laugh.
"What?" Silverstream asked, confused.
"No no, Silverstream, kittens don't actually explode," explained Sandbar, "if they did, Goldie Delicious' house would be in flames."
"Goldie Delicious? Green pony mean that old, crazy cat pony?" Yona queried.
"I won't exactly call her that," said Sandbar, with a hoof at the back of his head, "Anyway."
With that, Sandbar removed the lid of the box. Inside it was a manual on top of some cards. Sandbar picked up the manual and explained the game.
"Okay so, the aim of this game is to continuously draw the cards from the deck, hoping that you do not draw an Exploding Kitten. If you do, you're out of the game, unless you have a defuse card to defuse it. If you do, you have to discreetly put back the kitten anywhere in the deck. This continues until there's one player left standing, who will be the winner. Got it?"
The others nodded in acknowledgement.
"Okay, other than Exploding Kittens and Defuse cards, there are other cards with special effects that can help you or hinder other players. First, we have See the Future, which allows you to privately view the top three cards from the deck. After you viewed them, put them back in the same order without showing them to other players. Next is the Shuffle card, which allows you to shuffle the deck. It's useful when you know there's an Exploding Kitten on top. This does not end your turn so you'll still have to draw or play an Attack or Skip card after that which I'll go into later. So far, so good?"
"Uh huh," they nodded.
"Next, the Favor card allows the player who played it to steal a card from another player of their choosing."
"I like that game already," commented Gallus who was grinning.
"Buuuuut, the victim gets to choose which card to give up."
"Oh, fair enough," said Gallus who was slightly disappointed.
"Next is a Skip card, it's self-explanatory, the player who plays it skips their turn without drawing a card. Up next is the Attack card, and that's where the fun begins," Sandbar smiled as he said that.
"After playing it, you skip your turn and the next player beside you will have to take two turns instead."
"I'm listening," said Smolder, interested.
"Now, you can either play two skip cards, draw two cards, do a combination thereof, or play another attack card to pass it to the next player, kinda like Hot Potato."
"Does it stack?" Gallus asked.
"Why yes, of course," answered Sandbar, "but if you want, the nerfed version simply has the next player take two turns without stacking up."
"Nah, I like it when it stacks," said Gallus.
"Any creature object to this?" asked Sandbar.
The four friends shaked their heads.
"Okay then, we're almost there. Next is the Nope card which allows you to stop any action except for Exploding Kittens and Defuses. You can play this at anytime and anyone can play it. And before you ask, yes, you can Nope a Nope to create a 'Yup' that basically means that you can carry on with what you're doing."
"Hee hee," giggled Silverstream, "nope a nope, never thought I'll hear that from you."
"I know, I found it funny too," replied Sandbar.
"And finally, Cat Cards, they don't do anything on their own. However, they can be played in 'special combos' which I'm gonna explain right now. There are three kinds of 'special combos', play a two pair and you can randomly pick a card that you want to steal from players."
"Now we're talking!" cheered Gallus.
"Mmhm, if you play three of a kind, you can announce a specific card you want to steal from a player."
"Awesome," said Smolder.
"However, if they don't have it, they get nothing."
"Oh, never mind," groaned the slightly disappointed dragon.
"And finally, play five different cards and you can pick a card from the discard pile. Be quick or you'll get noped. Any card other than the Cat Cards can also be used in a special combo. If you do however, the effects of those cards in the special combo will not activate, so there's a risk in doing so. That is all."
"Alright! Yona had enough of this talk, let us play!" declared Yona.
"Okay then, let's go," said Sandbar, as he prepares to shuffle the draw pile, "Oh I almost forgot, you all get to start with one Defuse each along with four random cards."
With that, he passed one Defuse card to each of his friends and himself, before shuffling the deck. After that, he deals out four cards each to his friends before inserting the Exploding Kittens back into the deck and shuffling it again.
"Alright, here we go," declared Sandbar, "I'll start first, by the way, you can either play a card first or just draw one from the pile. Note that you can only end your turn by drawing a card, which ends only one turn if you're attacked, got it?"
"Affirmative," affirmed Gallus, while the rest just nodded.
And the game has begun.
Overview
Starting hands:
Sandbar: Defuse, See the Future, Taco Cat (2) & Shuffle
Gallus: Defuse, Favor, Nope, Skip & Hairy Potato Cat
Smolder: Defuse, Attack, Nope & Rainbow Ralphing Cat (2)
Silverstream: Defuse, See the Future, Beard Cat (2) & Rainbow Ralphing Cat
Yona: Defuse, Nope (2), Taco Cat & Hairy Potato Cat
Turn order: Sandbar, Gallus, Smolder, Silverstream, Yona
"Okay, I'm gonna draw a card," said Sandbar as he does so.
He drew a favor card.
"Your turn."
Gallus was next, thinking of his next move. He could use the favor card immediately or save it for another turn. He chose the former.
"Alright, um, Yona," chose Gallus.
"Ugh," Yona groaned, giving him her Taco Cat.
"What?! Oh never mind," stammered Gallus.
"What? Yona had to give you a card," she stated.
"Yeah, but it's not the one that I need," he told.
"Well, beggars can't be choosers," asserted Yona.
"You're one to talk," Gallus retorted.
"Guys, keep it friendly," urged Sandbar.
"Hmmph," they both fumed.
"Anyway, time to draw," Gallus articulated. He drew a Nope card. It'll do, he thought.
"It's my turn," said Smolder, drawing a card. It was an attack card. Yes! she thought.
"Ooh! Me next! Me next!" jabbered Silverstream, who chose to draw a card. It was See the Future.
"Yona's turn," said the yak, who drew a card. It was a Hairy Potato Cat, meaning she could play a pair and steal a card. Heh heh, she giggled on the inside.
"Okay, I'm gonna see the future," announced Sandbar, as he plays the card. The following three cards are in order: Watermelon Cat, Exploding Kittens, Watermelon Cat. Whew, I'm safe, but Gallus isn't, he thought. He decides to draw a card, smiling slyly at Gallus.
Okay, so Sandbar here is for some reason showing me that shit-eating grin, so maybe there's an Exploding Kitten next, I have only one skip so maybe I should save it? he thought, D'oh! What should I do?
"So what's it gonna be?" asked Sandbar.
"You know what? I'm gonna skip my turn," declared Gallus as he plays a skip.
The grin on Sandbar quickly faded.
Yes! Eat your out, Sandy! I'm a mind wizard, he happily thought, Or am I?
"Me next," said Smolder, Hmm, should I play an attack or draw? Given Sandbar's reaction, I think I'll go for an attack.
"Alright, I think I'll attack," she howled as she plays the card, "Your turn."
"Aw man," cried out the Hippogriff, "in that case, I'll play See the Future."
As she played the card, she also did a wavy gesture with her claws. She peeked at the top three cards, the Exploding Kitten was next followed by a Watermelon Cat and Shuffle. Arrgh, she thought, what can I do?
She had no choice but to play a pair of Beard Cats to stall for time. "Okay, I'm gonna steal from Yona," she crooned.
*Sigh* "Yak complies," sighed Yona, "wait, bird-horse can choose herself, right?"
"That's right," answered Sandbar.
"Alright, here," said Yona as she fans out her cards.
Hmm, I know she has a Defuse somewhere, but where?, wondered Silverstream, Urrgh, I'll take the middle!
It was..... a Taco Cat. "Damnit!" she cursed.
"Looks like you can only draw can ya?" commented Gallus with a sly grin.
"Hey, maybe it's not an Exploding Kitten," Silverstream replied as she drew a card, "It is."
The others laughed.
"Fret not, I have a defuse," presented Silverstream as she plays it.
"Now, I'm gonna put it back," said the hippogriff as she does so.
"Wait, I got a question," asked Smolder, "Can you put the Kitten back on top of the deck?"
"Yes, yes you can," replied Sandbar.
"What?!" the rest cried out with a surprised look on their face.
"No, seriously, you can," he insisted.
"Oh ho, this is gonna be good," chuckled Smolder.
"Regardless, I'm safe," proclaimed Silverstream, who now drew a Shuffle.
"My turn!" hollered Yona, who drew a card that was the Exploding Kitten, "Goddammit!"
The rest them of them chuckled.
"Oops, how did that get here?" babbled Silverstream, who was whistling.
"Haha, very funny," grumbled Yona, "well Yona's gonna defuse it."
With that, Yona took the Kitten and the deck, and turned around so she could put it back discreetly. After which, she turned around with a smug look on her face, the others concerned, as she places the deck back on the floor.
"Ok then, I'm gonna play a favor," Sandbar declared, as he puts the card down, "I'm gonna pick....Smolder."
"Nope." Smolder responded, as she denies it with a Nope card.
"Dang it!" scoffed Sandbar.
"Draw it, now," insisted Yona.
"Fine then, I'll shuffle instead," asserted the pale green colt, who plays a Shuffle instead.
Sandbar then shuffled the pile, and drew a Skip instead. "Phew."
"Guess I'm next," the griffon affirmed, who drew a Beard Cat, "Ugh."
"My turn!" exclaimed Smolder, as she drew a card, "No!"
The others laugh as she drew an Exploding Kitten.
"Good news, I got a defuse," grinned Smolder, as she plays it before putting the Kitten back, "Bad news, one of you is going down, and it ain't you Silverstream."
"Are you sure about that?" Silverstream doubted.
"Absolutely posituvely!"
"Okay, I trust you."
With that said, the rest of the group decided to draw a card, with Silverstream, Yona and Sandbar drawing a Skip, Attack and a Watermelon Cat respectively. Gallus on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.
"Welp, time to play my defuse," Gallus fumed a little, as he places the Kitten back in the pile.
"Here goes," Smolder said with uncertainty, as she draws a Watermelon cat, "better than nothing."
"My turn!" said Silverstream excitedly, who drew a card. The look of excitement on her face quickly turned into utter shock as she realised what she drew.
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!" she hollered.
"That was mine," Smolder smirked.
"How could you?! I trusted you!" she snarled.
"I said it won't be you....for the first time," laughed Smolder.
"Well gee, thanks, now I'm out," she pouted, "So where do my cards go?"
"In the discard pile," Sandbar answered.
Silverstream then places all of her cards onto the discard pile.
"One down, three to go," Sandbar expressed.
"How long has it been?" Gallus asked.
"Twenty-five minutes," Silverstream answered.
"Damn, we must have held out for long."
"Impressive feat," Smolder complimented, "for a griffon."
"We are raised in a poor town, it's only natural for us griffons to be rough and tough."
"Anyway, it's Yona's turn," called Sandbar.
Yona quietly drew a card, which was another Hairy Potato Cat. Yes!, Yona thought, Three of a kind.
Sandbar then followed suit and drew a Taco Cat. Heh! Got'em!
Gallus was next and he drew a See the Future.
"You know what? Your turn," Smolder said, as she plays an Attack.
"No, it's green pony's," countered Yona, who also plays an Attack.
"Darn it!" Sandbar snarled, "Welp, here goes."
Sandbar then draws two cards, a Defuse and a Attack, before drawing an Exploding Kitten as a third. "You know what this means," announced Sandbar, "I'm gonna do what is called a pro gamer move."
And with that, he defuses, puts it back in the deck, and then plays a three-of-kind with his Taco cats. "I'm gonna steal...", paused Sandbar, "a Nope card from Gallus."
"Well guess what? Nope," bragged Gallus, who plays a Nope card, "And how do you know I had a Nope?"
"Intuition, my friend," reassured Sandbar, "I've played this many times before, you know?"
"That's amazing," complimented Silverstream.
"Anyway, I'm gonna draw another card." And a Watermelon Cat he drew, Dang, I got the luck of the Lyrish, he thought.
"My turn," Gallus announced as he draws a card, "Aaaand it's an Exploding Kitten, I'm dead." He then discards his hand onto the pile.
"Three of us left," Yona addressed.
"It all comes down to this," Sandbar articulated, "Who do you think will win?"
"Dibs on Sandbar," said Gallus, "You, Silverstream?"
"I too, will pick Sandy here," replied the spunky hippogriff.
"Only the best," bragged Sandbar, as he grins.
"Don't push it," grumbled Smolder.
It is now Smolder's turn, who draws a Shuffle. Followed by Yona, who draws.... an Exploding Kitten.
"Dang it!" cried Yona, who tossed her remaining cards to the ground, before moving it to the discard pile.
"It's just you and me now," proclaimed Smolder, as she looks at Sandbar in the eye.
"The winner has already been decided," said the confident green pony.
"Hmph!"
With that, she draws a card which was a Skip. Sandbar then plays an Attack.
"Aw man!" exclaimed the orange dragon.
"What in Equestria does 'man' mean anyway?" questioned Silverstream.
"As far as I know, it's just a figure of speech," replied Gallus.
Okay, fine, thought Smolder, But not without a fight.
And with that, as a last ditch effort, she plays a Skip card to skip one of her turns before playing a pair of Rainbow Ralphing Cats to steal a card from Sandbar.
"Yes!" chortled Smolder, who has stolen a Skip before proudly playing it, "Jukes, Sandbar, jukes."
"Well, guess I'm gonna draw then," quavered Sandbar, who draws an Exploding Kitten.
"Oh nooooo, I'm gonna die...... NOT!" leered Sandbar, who presents a defuse card before playing it.
It was at this moment that Smolder knew, that she screwed herself over.
"Well, what's your next move?" taunted Sandbar.
*Sigh* "I admit defeat," accepted Smolder, who unsurprisingly, drew a Exploding Kitten, eliminating her from the game.
"Yes!" cried Sandbar, who stood up to do his victory dance.
"Congratulations, bro," praised Gallus, clapping his front claws.
"Well done!" added Silverstream, who was doing the same.
"Green pony has defeated yak in a battle of wit," said Yona, who followed suit.
And finally, Smolder joins in, "You win this round, I'll give it to ya."
"Gee guys, you're making me blush," said Sandbar, whose face turned briefly red.
"I guess that makes you the King of Exploding Kittens," Gallus praised again, "Actually, scratch that."
"I appreciate the kind words, Gallus."
Now it was the Griffin's turn to blush, "It's nothing, really."
"Well, I guess it's time to say goodbye now," said Sandbar as the others nodded in agreement.
He then led his friends to the front door, waving his hoof and bidding farewell to each other, awaiting their next playtime together. With Ocellus, of course.